LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and James Harden (Image Source: Getty Images)

Before becoming a household name with the Houston Rockets, James Harden began his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After disagreeing on a contract extension, the Thunder traded Harden to the Rockets. Harden’s desire to form his club back then appears to have been influenced by 2012 Team USA.

When ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins joined Richard Jefferson, Channing Frye, and Allie Clifton on the “Road Trippin’” podcast in 2012, he talked about how Team USA contributed to the dissolution of the Thunder triumvirate. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Harden were Perkins’ teammates then.

Perkins said, “I remember having this conversation with KD, James Harden and Russ got back from the Olympics from winning the gold. KD said, ‘Man, we’re about to lose James and it’s not about the money.’ I said, ‘What are you talking about?’ He said, ‘ ‘We’re about to lose because at the Olympics, ‘Bron, D-Wade, all those guys were telling James, ‘Bro, you’re too nice to be coming off the bench. You’re a number one option. You need to have your own team,’”

One thing that Kendrick Perkins said was incorrect: Dwyane Wade wasn’t on the 2012 Team USA roster. Nevertheless, following the Olympics that same offseason, James Harden was moved to the Houston Rockets. Harden went on to lead the Rockets to stardom.

Had Harden stayed with the Thunder and taken a secondary role to Durant and Russell Westbrook, would he have developed into such a remarkable player? Perhaps not, but he would have performed better than the players they selected in his place.

James Harden Had More Impact In Rockets Than In Oklahoma City Thunder

James Harden was the Oklahoma City Thunder’s third overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. During his time in Oklahoma City, Harden became one of the top scorers off the bench. He was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2012.

As all those players correctly pointed out, Harden is too talented to be a bench warmer. Although he had performed admirably in the Thunder’s sixth-man role—winning SMOY in 2012—it was obvious that he could accomplish much more in a more prominent role. After being moved to the Houston Rockets that offseason, he didn’t take long to demonstrate that.

Conversely, Harden would win three scoring titles, an assist title, and an MVP when he was a member of the Rockets. As a Rocket, he was among the best players in the NBA for roughly six or seven years. He averaged 29.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game.

If Durant, Westbrook, and Harden had stayed together longer, they would have won at least one championship. Naturally, none of them was at their best when they lost to LeBron and the Heat in five games during the 2012 NBA Finals. Regretfully, we will never be able to determine just how outstanding a trio they could have been.